Michelle Malkin: Secure the Border, Period

As the House gears up to pick apart the Senate's Gang of Eight immigration bill, Republicans are arguing the border must be secured before we can move forward with the legalization of 11 million illegal immigrants.

Last night on Fox News' Hannity, columnist Michelle Malkin reminded lawmakers on Capitol Hill that border security isn't conditional on anything and should have been done a long time ago regardless of how many people are in the country illegally.

"We have to get rid of this platitude of border security first. As I have said many times, it's border security, period," she said. "It's not a means to an end, it is the end. It is the basic core function of government."

House Speaker John Boehner has said any piece of legilsation that does not secure the border will not be considered.